RIVERS RUN DRY
by mafuyu hotaru
Summary: postsailor moon. strange things have been occuring on earth... the weather is random, and the most odd thing of all is the sailor senshi can't control it. full summary in author profile.
1. Chapter 1

Now, I would like to introduce to you Rivers Run Dry.I know a lot of people HATE Mary-Sues, so I am trying my hardest not to make it such. Of course, it is nearly impossible to create a SM fic without some MS attributes, but I am going to try and keep them to a minimum. As far as I know, no one has made a SM fic like the one I am writing, and I have read a lot of SM fanfiction. The plot will move, not to fast, but not to slow. So, I hope you enjoy, Rivers Run Dry.

--

Rivers Run Dry

By: Hotaru

Rating: Older Teens (16+) for some mature themes, language, etc.

Chapter 1

8-31-05

My my, what have we got here? It's the disclaimer damnit! You see, fan fiction authors are required to specify that they don't own any characters involved in their story, that were not made up on their own. SOOO therefore, I say, "I do so solemnly swear that I do not own any characters created by Takeuchi Naoko. I only own my own and my plot." And, would you please do that same courtesy of stating that you don't own my characters should you ever for some reason decide to use them, as well as the plot. Thank you.

--

"…" Dialogue

'…' Thoughts

-…- An expression or something

The few Japanese phrases you will here in this chapter. I will keep them to a minimum and only use them when the English translation might or will sound odd.

Tadaima! – literally, I'm home.

Okaeri – Welcome home, welcome back

Kyotsuke – stand at attention

Lei - bow

-chan - a suffix used by close friends, or for small children. it means cute or tiny, etc.

--

The freezing wind blew hard, feeling like needles upon the flesh of the only person on the streets. Long, black hair blew into the face of Hino Rei, as she held up her arms to try and prevent dirt from blowing into her eyes. She was going as fast as she could without being knocked over by it. It seemed darker than it really was, the smog of the city the cause of the effect. In the winter, the sky was always dirty. So much gas, coal, and wood used to prevent the citizens of the world's largest metropolis, from freezing. Pausing at a street corner to catch her breath, she waited for the light for crossing to turn green, awaited the little chime that always sang.

The heavy coat she was wearing over her school uniform was not much help against this powerful wind, this unnatural wind. Either, Uranus was not at peace, or something had gone terribly wrong, and their short lived peace was at an end. Grateful that she finally heard the little bell, she quickly crossed the street. Only a little further, and she would be home. Only that little hill that she had to climb, and she would be back at the Hikawa Shrine, back to her own fire, where she could finally figure out what it was that made this cursed wind blow.

It was perhaps, the hardest trip up the hill she had ever faced. The wind was now blowing against her, and she nearly toppled back several times. She was fortunate enough to have good skills and sharp reflexes, and finally made it up, passed through the entrance to her home, and then to the front door of her house. -SIGH- That was the first sound that escaped from her lips. Removing her black school shoes, she stepped up onto the wood floor and cried out, "Tadaima!" The warmth of the building was immediately noticeable, and she took off her coat, placing it on top of the cabinet that stood in the entry hall.

Soon after, the reply from her grandfather's older voice came, "Okaeri, Rei." Before going to her room, she searched for him, and found him enjoying the simple pleasures of a television show. The shrine was not likely to have any visitors today due to the weather, so the old man had chosen to go ahead and close it up for the day. Deciding to leave him there undisturbed, the teen went on down the hall and slid open the door to her room. A simple room, but comfortable. A low table with futon for people to sit upon off to the right, a lamp close by. A few scattered books here and there. Tossing her bag next to the table, Rei immediately went to her closet, and took out her more traditional clothes, and quickly changed.

Once the task was accomplished, rather than bringing out the books and studying for her exam the next day, like she was supposed to, Rei made for her sanctuary, the Sacred Fire. The girl wanted to get to the bottom of things. Hopefully she could get a clear reading in her mind of what was happening in the realm of evil. Now in the hot room, where the fire that never went out was kept, she knelt down on the hard wooden floor, and closed her violet eyes.

--

The sixteen year old blonde with long hair done up in ball styled pigtails let out a loud complaint, "I can't believe this! The wind is too strong for me to get home now!" Tsukino Usagi was sitting on a stool in front of the counter at the Crown Game Center. A chocolate milkshake sat in front of her covered in massive amounts of whipped cream and a cherry on top. About five minutes beforehand, she had attempted to leave but the second she had finally managed to push open the door, the furious wind pushed her back inside the building like she was nothing more than a fly. Quickly giving up, she had ordered her third milkshake for the day.

Sitting beside her was another blonde, Aino Minako. She too had a milkshake, but this one was strawberry, "I really wanted to go home and take a nice hot bubble bath! Today was so cold, and now this wind will only make the freezing weather worse!" Both girls let out sighs of exasperation. They had been at the arcade since after school, and that was over three hours ago. It would soon be completely dark outside. Looking out the windows, the girls saw flyers being pulled off their posts, trashcans blown over, even one of the heavy vending machines were on the ground.

"Hey, Mina-chan, what do you say to another round of Sailor V!" Usagi brightly asked, her crystal blue eyes brightening in excitement. She looked around in her bag and brought out her wallet that was pink and covered with little white bunnies. "Alright!" The pretty blonde replied. The two cheerfully went off to the game, forgetting their shakes on the bar, as they were slowly melting in the heat of the building. The girls were quickly preoccupied by the game and soon a small crowd of people were watching as the two played the game two players, and were beating the current record, previously set by none other than Kino Makoto.

If people knew the true purpose of the game, they would have realized that the only record setters left on this particular Sailor V game were the group of five girls that always stopped by, who were in actuality Sailor Senshi. Soon enough, one of the girls finally lost, Minako being the beaten, and Usagi continued to play on her own. Yet, she too lost eventually. And the sighs of defeat were heard. No one had ever beaten the game, as it seemed never ending. The crowd separated after the game that had lasted nearly an hour.

The two friends walked back to the counter where they had left their belongings, and saw their now liquidated shakes. A very small amount of tears formed in Usagi's eyes as she saw it, "Oh no! I really wanted to drink it now…" The teen didn't allow herself to cry though, because she was at the stage in life where she was finally maturing into adult hood, and learning that crying didn't get her anywhere. It had taken longer than usual for her to begin the mental maturing stage, and her friends were grateful that it had finally come, because she no longer wailed over little things.

As if though sensing a change, both girls looked immediately out the windows, forgetting their ruined treats. The wind had stopped completely. It was dark outside, but the streets were well lit, things were no longer blowing about, and the cars finally started back up and continued on their ways, having stopped because the force of the wind was making it to difficult to drive. Usagi and Minako looked at each other. The atmosphere didn't feel right. They were brought out of their reverie by other people leaving the arcade that was supposed to have closed half an hour before, but couldn't.

"I guess we better go home huh? It could start again," Minako stated. She grabbed her coat and was putting it on. Usagi nodded her agreement, but her face was serious. A feeling of great foreboding had come over her, and she didn't like it. However, just as soon as she had felt it, it disappeared, and she mimicked her friend, and the both picked up their school bags and finally left the place. Glancing at her watch, the blonde noticed it was well after seven, "Oh no! My mother's gonna kill me! Mina-chan, I'll see you tomorrow at school alright? See you then!" And the girls made their separate ways, Usagi running as fast as she could, and Minako walking freely, enjoying the fact that she wasn't struggling against any wind.

--

Mizuno Ami sat in her desk by the window, her head bent over her papers as she was working out one of her Advanced Calculus problems. Frustrated, the blue haired girl finally looked up from all of her calculations and instead chose to stare out the window. The class was given a long home room in the sixth period that day, and many of the students were out of their seats and loudly talking; the screeching of girls as they made new discoveries of one's new boyfriend, the guys gloating over their accomplishments. It was all getting too noisy for the genius to concentrate any longer. She wished that the teacher would walk in at any moment, so that she could get the students under control, if that was possible.

As Ami continued looking outside, she noticed the sky was darkening. The day had been a rare and beautiful one, but now black clouds were gathering off in the distance, and the teenager predicted their arrival to be in less than an hour, just as school would be letting out, "That's funny… there were no chances that it would rain today…" The clouds looked angry, and she heard a loud clap of thunder, louder than it should have been for a storm so far away, and then she saw the flashes of lightning. She though, 'First the strange wind storm the evening before, and now this unexpected storm that was not even on the radar for the entire country!'

At first, she had thought maybe Uranus was going through a great pain when she noticed the wind. Yet, when it had ended, a strange calmness and silence had overcome the entire city, even when the buses started running again. She had not seen any of the outer Senshi for months. Perhaps Jupiter was enduring pain? But how could Makoto be enduring anguish or pain when she was in the classroom right next door? Ami was trying to think of the reasons for the odd weather. Then she was also considering that good times were over and the Sailor Senshi would be needed again. The bell pulled her from her deep thoughts, and then the teacher entered the room through the sliding door and took her place at the front of the classroom, "Hai! Mizuno-san!"

It was Ami's turn for the day to lead the class in formalities. The class stood up, everyone back at their desks, as they had rushed when the teacher had come in. The blue haired girl's voice cried out just loud enough, "Kyotsuke!" All the students stood up straight in attention, "Lei!" Everyone bowed, and then they were dismissed. Students were gathering their belongings, as they finally began to notice the rainstorm coming in. Loud complaints of, "Damnit! I didn't bring my umbrella!" were heard. Ami headed for the chalkboard so that she could wipe it clean of all its writings except for the date that was written respectively at the far right side. With the task completed, Ami returned to her desk, put away all of her work and grabbed her bag, and proceeded to leave.

--

The tall brunette waited for her friend Ami to leave the classroom. When the girl finally did, Kino Makoto immediately said, "I don't know anything about this rainstorm. All I can say is that it is not the result of any power of Jupiter. If it were, I would know." Ami seemed a little caught off guard by her close friend's word out in public. Normally, things such as these were kept on hold until there were few people in the area, or for meetings. The next of their little 'group' to meet up with them was Minako.

"Mako-chan, do you know what this storm is about?" The blonde was out of breath as she had rushed from the second building and concern was in her voice. The shaking of the brunette's head signified her 'no'. The daughter of love continued on, "First that insane wind… and now we have a storm, who knows how bad, about to hit." Next she pulled out her communicator and contacted Rei, "I think we should have a meeting Rei-chan, this unnatural weather is beginning to freak all of us out. This storm is no cause of Jupiter."

Almost immediately, the raven haired girl replied through her own communicator, "I was just about to contact you guys to suggest the same thing. It's Friday, so why don't you guys plan on spending the night? We might need to talk for a long time. Hurry on quick, cause this storm looks bad." Then, the tiny screen with her face cut off. Looking up, the three saw the last of them hurrying down the hall, Usagi, Usagi-chan! All three of the girls shouted as they gestured for her to finish her trip as soon as she could.

The girl finally made it, and out of breath, much like Minako had been, she asked, complaining, What is up with all this weird weather!

Can it. Makoto responded in a voice that sounded very much like Rei, Tonight we are meeting at Rei-chans house, and we are spending the night. There are some serious issues that we need to discuss.

Right in the middle of the hallway, Usagi plopped to the ground, her knees up to her chest, and one hand supporting her chin, Oh geez, and when I thought things were finally gonna be normal again. Oh well… I guess we will never get to have our normal lives for very long… Little did the Moon Princess and her followers know, was how correct she really was.

--

-SIGH- i really have no idea how this will go. no. thats a lie. i know how the story will go, but i dont know where this will go with my readers. i had a title in mind only about two hours ago but i forgot it. damnit. me and my forgeting english in japan. well then, what do you think about all this crazy weather? what is causing it? if uranus wasnt controlling that wind, and jupiter the storm, what is it then? in this story i have the planets being the power sources of weather. so ya. anyway, review for me. and crap, my laptop crashed yesterday, so slow updates until i return to america in november.

hotaru


	2. Chapter 2

I am happy to say that I did get hits for chapter one. No reviews, but I know people read it. HAHAHA. Anyway, let us see what the girls can figure out. Did Rei get any sort of vision the night before during her fire reading or what? Sigh… Please enjoy and give me your thoughts at the end!

--

Rivers Run Dry

By: Hotaru

Rating: Older Teens (16+) for some mature themes, language, etc.

Chapter 1

8-31-05

My my, what have we got here? It's the disclaimer damnit! You see, fan fiction authors are required to specify that they don't own any characters involved in their story, that were not made up on their own. SOOO therefore, I say, "I do so solemnly swear that I do not own any characters created by Takeuchi Naoko. I only own my own and my plot." And, would you please do that same courtesy of stating that you don't own my characters should you ever for some reason decide to use them, as well as the plot. Thank you.

--

"…" Dialogue

'…' Thoughts

-…- An expression or something

The few Japanese phrases you will here in this chapter. I will keep them to a minimum and only use them when the English translation might or will sound odd.

Jii-san: Grandpa

--

"Shit! This hill is IMPOSSIBLE!" Usagi yelled out as loud as she could, but when the voice reached the others' ears, it was a mere whisper. The storm had finally arrived, when they were maybe halfway to the shrine. None of them had umbrellas, and all doubted they would have helped anyway, except to become an inconvenience. Now at the hill, they were struggling against the pouring rain, the blowing wind, and hoping they wouldn't be struck by the lightning that kept on striking down. They were three quarters of the way up.

Makoto tried to reply, "I would help if I could! But I can't do anything to make this storm any less powerful!" They barely heard the tall brunette speak, just like they had barely heard their princess. All of them had rain in their eyes, were soaked to the bone, and freezing. The first to make it up was Makoto. She waited several more minutes, shivering, for the other girls to make it up, the last being Usagi, "About time!" Ami reprimanded. Usagi was blushing in slight guilt, but no one could see it due to the downpour. They all hurried inside the gate, and another boom of thunder crashed, causing all the girls to run to the front door.

Sliding the door open, all four stepped inside, out of the rain. All of them were soaking wet, "REI! JII-SAN!" Usagi's high-pitched voice cried out. Almost immediately, the priestess appeared in the hallway, and saw the state everyone was in, "Wait just one more minute! I am going to get you guys something to dry off with, and a change of clothes." She disappeared around a corner, and soon after, her sock clad feet were heard making their way back across the wooden floor.

All of the girls gladly welcomed the towels that were offered, and removed their shoes and socks, drying off their feet. Then, they all hurried towards the bathroom to leave their uniforms and change into the simple yukatas that Rei had given each of them.

--

"Ooh… dry clothes feel soo nice!" Minako was saying very luxuriously. The five were now in Rei's room, dry in all ways aside from their hair. All of them were wrapped up in blankets around the low table, getting warm, hoping they wouldn't get sick from their little escapade in the still raging storm. Lightning flashed, and Makoto's emerald eyes stood out in their glare, "No matter how hard I try to reach the spirit of Jupiter… I get nothing. Nothing at all." She sighed somewhat exhausted, and lay down on the floor.

Rei spoke up, "I tried to get a reading from the fire last night… but nothing. I will next try to contact Haruka and see if she got anything from the wind yesterday," She paused, her violet eyes thinking, "The only problem is they could be anywhere, it could take all night."

All the girls sighed. Rei stood up, and said, "I am going to go try to get something from the fires again. You girls try contacting Haruka by your own means alright? We might get things done faster that way." She looked out the window ominously, "There's no telling how much time we have before things get out of hand." The Sailor Senshi lost their amused looks, and all nodded in agreement. Ami brought out her mini laptop, and Usagi opened up her communicator. It was a shame that Luna was at her house, because the black cat most likely could have helped out as well.

--

_The dark depths of space, the stars shining brightly, and the planets glowing gently, were a beautiful sight indeed. However, two of the planets were changing. The clouds that enveloped their surfaces had faded, and now, the true colors of these planets were revealed. Uranus was now a very beautiful desert land, and perhaps deep navy skies would be seen from its surface, compared to its once bright blue color; Jupiter, an emerald green, what could have been forests, a stark contrast to what had been ugly colors of rusty red and murky yellow. The surfaces may have been peaceful, but within each of the two, power was crying to be released… power that had been held back for so long. _

--

Rei was sitting in front of her fire, quietly chanting. The image of Jupiter and Uranus flashed before her closed, violet eyes. The firebrand had been trying to contact the Princess of Uranus, but instead, got that image. Standing up, Rei stared down at her flames and studied them silently, and then went to the others, "I saw something."

All four looked up from their thoughts. Ami asked, "Well, what did you see?" The priestess explained her vision to them and they all thought on it. The Mercurian was typing away furiously, and her bright blue eyes looked up, "It is as if the clouds and gases were covering the surfaces for a reason, hiding what lay beneath; like a treasure hunter searching for gold beneath the surface of the river. Except this time, that river has run out." She stared at them all, "I think that whatever is causing these things has to do with what hides beneath the surfaces of our blessed planets. I am not sure how long it will take, but I have a feeling that the other planets will begin to follow suit. It is just a matter of time."

--

DO YOU LOVE ME? GIVE ME A GIFT.

Bleh. So this chapter is quite short. I needed to end there. BUT! I am back. Yay! Thank you reviewers, your notes are in my profile. Anyway, I got my title. And the reason for it, is obviously in the last paragraph of the chapter. I am thinking this story will probably be short. Maybe 10 chapters or so, hell, maybe even less. But yeah. You will see the enemy soon. I just hate it when people make Sailor Moon stories and a new enemy is brought in almost immediately. &&$!

Hotaru

11-29-05


	3. Chapter 3

Well then, here is the third chapter. Now that I have a title for this story, I am going to put up a more interesting summary. Anyway, let's see what happens next. Will we get to catch a glimpse of our enemy? Or will the wait continue, the tensions continue to grow? How does this affect the Senshi whose planets have been distraught? Will they loose power over their celestial powers? Just a note, remember they are 16 or so now, so they have more maturity than they used to.

--

Rivers Run Dry

By: Hotaru

Rating: Older Teens (16+) for some mature themes, language, etc.

Chapter 3

12-17-05

My my, what have we got here? It's the disclaimer damnit! You see, fan fiction authors are required to specify that they don't own any characters involved in their story, that were not made up on their own. SOOO therefore, I say, "I do so solemnly swear that I do not own any characters created by Takeuchi Naoko. I only own my own and my plot." And, would you please do that same courtesy of stating that you don't own my characters should you ever for some reason decide to use them, as well as the plot. Thank you.

--

Japanese phrases used: (I only use them when the English translation would sound unusual)

Tadaima - I'm back home, I'm home, etc.

Okaeri - Welcome back, welcome home, etc.

--

"What should we do? Should we just leave things up to them, as they are gradually becoming weaker?"

"What the hell do you mean 'should we leave things up to them!' What else are we supposed to do? Allow the Greater Being and the Greater Being's followers come to power?"

"Silence, both of you. We will come when we are called for. When she rises from her rest, we will do as she orders, and then go."

And, as the third voice ordered, silence continued on in the dark, eerie place.

--

"Matter of time…" Usagi mused to herself in a serious tone. Lightning flashed into the room, and then it seemed as though the storm stopped. The thunder disappeared, as did the sound of rain pouring on the roof. Ami stood up and walked to one of the sliding doors, and carefully slid it open a crack. She looked out with her crystal blue eyes, and then shut the door back to the way it was, "It's stopped." Everyone looked at each other. That strange feeling of calm had again come. This time, it was more overbearing.

The moon princess let out a sigh of exasperation, "Someone PLEASE talk, aside from me. Why didn't we bring Luna with us? We could use her right about now." She was tightly hugging a pillow.

Minako seemed to think of something, and said, "Mako-chan, would you mind transforming? We need to know whether any of this affects your transformation, or your powers." She looked at Ami, "And would you mind analyzing it as it happens? I realize that we haven't analyzed our transformations before… but it might be a smart idea to do so." The daughter of Venus was taking on her role as leader of the Inner Senshi very well.

The green eyed beauty nodded, and brought out her transformation pen, "Jupiter Crystal Power – Make up!" The shower of green circled around her, as she became Sailor Jupiter. Ami was typing on her computer as this happened. The transformation complete, Jupiter asked, "Ok, now what should I do?" Minako was thinking for a second, trying to think of what was the best thing to do. The blonde said, "Ami, did you get anything strange from that?" Rei and Usagi looked at the blue-haired girl expectantly.

Ami looked up from her computer, "Well, there was of course the surge of abnormal power… I would need to compare it to another of you guys' transformations. It is best that it is Mars or Venus, considering Moon is more powerful." The two looked at each other, and Minako said, "You go ahead Rei." And so, she followed suit, and transformed into Sailor Mars.

Sailor Mars and Jupiter stood there, waiting for Ami's response. The genius was typing away. She stopped, and looked up, "There was no difference." All of the girls let out sighs of denial, and of relief.

"Try attacking." Usagi was the speaker, "The least we could do is see if Jupiter can still attack." She stood up from her place at the table, and walked over to the doors that Ami had shut. The moon princess opened both doors to the side, and stared out into the now clear night. The teenager was in that serious mood again. Everyone made to go outside. Those without shoes simply sat on the ledge, while Jupiter and Mars walked out. Turning around, Jupiter asked, "Well? What do you think we should hit?" Everyone looked about, and then Minako finally said, "I think your best bet would be the ground. Then you wouldn't destroy anything overly valued."

Sailor Jupiter decided to go with an old attack, "Supreme Thunder!" The electricity began to build up and gather power. The powerful brunette released the attack at the ground. As it cleared, a small hole was left in the ground, leaving very little damage. Jupiter, however, was crouched low on the ground, panting for breathe, "Well... that took a bit out of me." She looked up with a tired smile. Sailor Mars ran over to help her get up. The tall girl shook off the help, and stood up herself, "I'm fine. I just guess that using my attacks will make me more tired than usual." All of the girls stared at each other grimly, not liking the results of their little test.

--

The sound of a door opening and closing broke the silence in the dimly lit room. "How go the extractions?" A man walked towards the figure sitting in a chair, feet up on a table, as whoever it was seemed to be thinking very deeply.

"Well... the process is quite slow." A young, female voice answered, "Only two extractions have taken place. As far as I can tell, we aren't recieving everything we should be getting. Something is holding a majority of it back." The girl had her long hair in a braid, aside from a short layer that trimmed her chin. She had an interesting style of a tank top and mini skirt, a scarf wrapped around her neck and red tights going up to her thighs, her feet clad in black combat boots, with buckles here and there.

The first sighed, "We need to get all of it in order to accomplish everything..."

The girl flashed her green eyes, "Don't worry. We'll get everything we need eventually. How about we be happy with what we have and work with that. I will work on more extractions. Although, what I did get took a lot out of me, so..." Hands rested on her small shoulders, and the other replied, "You have done well. After all, we have just begun. Take a break for a day, and then you can come back. We will figure out a way to get everything out of the extractions." The hands squeezed her shoulders, and then let them go. Footsteps clunked against the ground. A door opened, and then closed. The girl turned around, and looked at her carefully made model of the Solar System. The planets twirled around on their axis, as they made their life circling the sun. She reached a fishnet covered hand up, and pulled on a string, turning out the lights. The only thing now visible was the bright yellow of the fake sun, and the little stars.

--

"Haruka!" A sea green-haired beauty stared worriedly at her blonde companion who was currently Sailor Uranus, "Are you ok?" A second later, Sailor Uranus went and became her normal self. Today was one of those days that Haruka resembled a woman, rather than a man. I am following the manga, in which Haruka is usually a man, and sometimes a woman

Pushing back a strand of her short blonde hair, she said, "I think so. But... no matter how much I train, I can't escape the loss of energy after I perform one of my attacks." She looked away in a small amount of embarassment. Michiru placed a hand on her back, "Don't worry, Haruka. We should figure it all out eventually. It has to have something to do with this weather."

"Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama!" A young teenager with black-purple hair ran in, "Guess who is here!" Hotaru's eyes were filled with excitement as she awaited the guesses of her foster parents. Both shook their heads in curiosity. The firefly crossed her arms as the two didn't even attempt a guess, and then finally said, "Setsuna-mama!" The other two's eyes widened a little in surprise, as the dark-green haired woman stuck her head in through the doorway, and said with her calm voice, "Tadaima."

--

Right, umm... I won't beg this time for reviews. I am very sad that I can't put this up right now. I am grounded! Due to my pyro-mania and little lies. So, I can't use the computer. The only reason I am able to write is because I have secretly fixed my laptop. That is how bored I was. I fixed this piece of crap thing. HAHAHA. The downside is that something is wrong with my microsoft word, so I am stuck with wordpad. So yeah. I am now most likely missed on gaia. I am quite the regular in a few threads on there... and no one knows what happened to me. I will be going skiing (snowboarding I should say) on Tuesday, and won't come back from that until the 2nd of January. So, my New Years will be spent there. Maybe I will get a New Years kiss this year... I have never been kissed on New Years, and I feel like having one this year. So, Happy New Years everyone.

Hotaru


	4. Chapter 4

Wow, it's been three months since I have updated this one. I just finished my first fanfic, Butterfly Kisses, and now I feel I better update this one, since it has been so neglected... Anyway, let's see what happens to our senshi next!

--

Rivers Run Dry

By: Hotaru

Rating: Older Teens (16+) for some mature themes, language, etc.

Chapter 4

3-17-06

My my, what have we got here? It's the disclaimer damnit! You see, fan fiction authors are required to specify that they don't own any characters involved in their story, that were not made up on their own. SOOO therefore, I say, "I do so solemnly swear that I do not own any characters created by Takeuchi Naoko. I only own my own and my plot." And, would you please do that same courtesy of stating that you don't own my characters should you ever for some reason decide to use them, as well as the plot. Thank you.

--

Japanese phrases/names/items used: (I only use them when the English translation would sound unusual)

Okaeri nasai - (more formal speach) Welcome home, etc

Edamame - Baby soy beans (very good with salt. XD)

Futon - A thin mattress of sorts used for sleeping.

--

Michiru sweetly replied, "Okaeri nasai, Setsuna-san." The Neptunian's eyes held a look of worry, compared to the cheer in her voice. Haruka came up behind Michiru, and nodded, "It's been a long time. What brings you away from your post at the Gates of Time?" Hotaru felt the tense atmosphere circling around the room and tried to break it, "I'll go make something to eat. Why don't the three of you go to the living room and catch up on things." The teenager swiftly left the area, headed towards the kitchen. The older women all stared at each other, and then acquiested to Hotaru's suggestion.

When they were all settled in the living room, Haruka's eyes narrowed, "Well, Setsuna?"

The ruby red orbs of the gatekeeper aligned with the opposite's, "Well, Haruka-san, things are amiss. You need not worry about your powers. Keep training, and you shall see." She leaned back into the soft cushion of the couch, "You three, including myself, will need to go back to Tokyo, or the other Sailor Senshi will need to come to us. Either way, you all must contact each other."

"Can you tell us anything as to the cause of the weather?" Michiru asked.

Setsuna moved her gaze to the green haired girl, "The Inner Senshi have figured a few things out, even though they may not realize it." Haruka smirked, "It's nice to know they've got some more brains than before." Michiru's elbow dug into her side, quickly putting a stop to silent laughter. The Plutonian patiently waited for the little mishap to resolve itself, and then continued, "And, be wary of what other things will happen."

Hotaru stepped into the room with a tray ladden with a plate of edamame and tea, "You three aren't going to keep everything you've said secret from me are you?" Setting the tray down, Hotaru sat in a chair to the right of Setsuna. It was obvious that the younger girl was trying to keep the sulky attitudes from becoming overbearing, "I am a Sailor Senshi just as much as you are."

"Don't worry, Hotaru-chan, I will explain everything I have told them tonight." Setsuna smiled, and then looked at the other two, "Keep what I said in mind." She then reached a hand down and grabbed an edamame bean. After placing the bean shell aside, she said, "If you will excuse me for a little while, I need to take care of something elsewhere. I will be back by dinner time."

--

Deep red eyes stared up at a floating figure. A glow emenated from the naked body, dimly lighting the room. Long black hair billowed around the woman's unconscious form, "When will you awaken, my lady?" The wise voice that spoke held a hint of worry, "We need your guidance now, before anything more happens." The one speaking was covered by a dark cloak. The girl continued to speak to the non responsive one, "I fear you are being coerced. It looks like you are here, but how do I know that your real self hasn't been taken from us without our knowledge? We wait here, guarding, as we have done for centuries, the entrance, so we have not been able to watch you at all times."

"You're time in this place has made you far wiser than you know, Phlegethon." The red eyed one looked up, to meet another pair of red ones. The one addressed as Phlegethon stood up from her knees, and walked towards the one whom had entered, "Thank you, Sailor Pluto. I do my best to keep my wits about me." The two stared at each other a moment, and then she continued, "I fear the worst has happened. No matter what I say to her, she does not awaken."

The Plutonian gave a sad smile to the other, "Indeed, you are correct in your assumption. When you and your fellow guardians were finishing off the Chaos issue, she was assaulted." Phlegethon's eyes widened, "No, not in that way. But, her spirit was. She awoke to be greeted by none other than Gaia's son. Before she could do anything, he had already taken over her, and left you with a very powerful illusion." The tall, dark woman walked over to stand several inches away from the floating form. Pluto turned her head to make sure the cloaked girl was watching, and then moved one hand through the glowing body.

"How could I have been so easily tricked?"

"No one is perfect, old friend." Pluto closed her eyes, "No matter how wise you get, or how much knowledge you gather, there is always room for imperfection, and mistakes. She will forgive you, for how could you know?"

The other lowered her face, "I should have been here..."

Pluto walked back to her and grasped her shoulders comfortingly, "Don't beat yourself up over it. What is done, is done. You do need to know, however, that the man has started it. It is time that the four of you come join us in the living world. If you do not, then I fear that her powers will be abused far worse than they already are, and that the Sailor Senshi of the Living will fall. We need your help." Phlegethon looked up at the illusion of the one she followed, and then moved to stare at the Senshi of Time, "This is the closest I can get to a message from her. I shall tell the others, and we shall come."

--

Makoto was sipping some tea, as she leaned against the wall, "So... I can still attack, but I loose a lot of energy." She was thinking, "I guess I should start training some more then." The other four were all scattered around the room on their own futon. All of them were thinking.

"Well," Minako started, taking her part as the inner senshi leader, "I think all of us should start some serious training. I hate to say it, but I agree with Ami. If what she said is true, that means Haruka-san is having the same issue as Mako-chan. And, if the remaining planets follow suit, all of us will be dealing with the same problem." All the other girls nodded in agreement, "As strong as we may be, we have been out of action for a month or so, and there is no telling how much strength we will need. And we can't afford to suffer from energy losses in any future battles."

Rei mentioned, "We need to figure out who or what is causing it though. There has to be some purpose as to this 'activation of the planets.'" She stood up, "I am going to try and get another reading from the fire. This is just killing me. Someone get me when it is time to eat ok?" The priestess slid open the door to her room, getting ready to step into the hallway, but was instead greeted by the gentle gaze of Setsuna. A shocked Rei cried out, "Setsuna-san! What are you doing here?"

"You do not need me to answer that question, because you already know." She looked over the firebrand's shoulder to glimpse the others in the bedroom, "Would you mind if I came in for a moment? You should stay here too, Rei-san. The Sacred Fire won't give you too much." The raven haired girl opened her mouth as if the give a protest, but quickly shut it at the sharp glint in Setsuna's eyes, "Alright, come in." Rei stepped back, and allowed the taller woman to come in.

"Setsuna-san, it's good to see you again!" Usagi cheerfully greeted despite the room's atmosphere.

"Thank you, Usagi-san, it's good to see you too." Setsuna smiled, and then sat down at the low table, facing all of them, "I am sure all of you have figured some of what's been going on out. And what all of you have assumed, is quite correct. You five have never failed to let me down. You all get smarter with every day that passes." Makoto was pouring a cup of tea for the elder, whom accepted it gratefully, "However, do you all realize how serious things are going to be in the very near future?"

All five were still, their eyes focused on her, "I see that all of you are taking the present situaiton with all seriousness. That is a very good thing. Things could go very wrong if you aren't." Setsuna focused on Makoto, "Do you feel any different than before?"

The brunette nodded, "When I attack I loose energy. I assume the same will be with Uranus." A nod confirmed it, "All of us have agreed to start some serious training. We need all the strength we can get."

They were rewarded with another of Setsuna's smiles, "I agree. You all should train as much as you can. If your parents won't object, I would say take a leave of abscense from school, and don't waste any more time. The fate of the world is in our hands, once again." She finished off the tea that she had been given, and placed the cup on the table and stood up, "Now, I must return to the north. We will see each other again, very soon. You will also get to see the others when I return."

The Inner Senshi all gave a grateful look to Setsuna, and Usagi said, "Thanks for coming Setsuna-san. You're words have been of great help. See you soon!" She waved bye as Setsuna walked to the door. The other girls gave their little good byes as well, and then the Plutonian was gone.

--

Phlegethon made her way down a dark corridor. Her red eyes, however, were used to the dark, and it seemed fairly lit to the girl. A brighter light was getting closer, as she neared the end of the hallway. At the exit, she was greeted by the gentle green glow of her sacred river, her namesake, Phlegethon. However, she did not have time to sit at the water's edge, and enjoy the comfort of it, and the spirits that wander its banks. Rather, she walked along the edge of it, and made her way towards what looked like a merging of three other rivers.

A figure was standing in the distance. As Phlegethon got closer, she saw that the person wasn't wearing a cloak, contrary to what she was wearing. A few spirits stopped their aimless walk to look at her hurry past.

Upon reaching the standing girl, she softly said, "Cocytus, it is time. The Gatekeeper of Time has requested our presence in the living world."

"What happened to waiting for the sacred lady being the one to call us, huh?" Blue eyes flashed in annoyance, as the girl with chin length black hair crossed her pale arms in front of her chest. Her simple grey outfit seemed to suit her snappy personality.

"I don't have time for your attitude right now. We must set things in order and go assist them."

Letting out a sigh, Cocytus protested, "Why can't we just do what we always do? Why can't we just wait until their opponent is gone and then seal its soul?"

Phlegethon's temper seemed to flare a bit, "Look, it's Gaia's bastard child who is responsible for everything happening right now. The Senshi of the Living need our help. Only we have ever faced the gods alone, and look where that got us!" A small trace of bitterness could be heard, "If we don't help them, they could be stuck with a fate similar to ours. The guy took her! And, if we finish him off, we can get her back, and maybe we can finally live a normal life."

Cocytus let out a laugh, "Alright, alright! I get the point. Let's make that son of a bitch give our lady _and_ our humanity, back." The cloaked woman sighed in relief, "_Thank you_ Cocytus. Now, where are the other two?"

--

COME ON GUYS. I WAS NICE AND UPDATED! XD

Alright guys! I did another chapter. The plot is sort of moving now. Next chapter it will move even more. So, I hope you guys liked it. My grandfather passed away yesterday, so I would like to say, R.I.P. He was an awesome grandfather.

Hotaru

3/18/06


	5. Chapter 5

I'm real disappointed with the amounts of hits I am getting with this story! I am going to work really hard so that this SM fic, Rivers Run Dry, will get just as many hits as my Rurouni Kenshin fanfictions, if not more. It took Butterfly Kisses to be about halfway done before I started getting hits for it, so maybe that will be the case with this story. I know that there are so many Sailor Moon fics out there, that it is difficult to find good ones worth reading. So I understand, in a sense, why I might not be getting as many hits as I wish I were getting. I plan to make this fic something worth reading! Something worth spending time to look at and enjoy. I don't plan on this being too much of a Mary-sue. It is kind of impossible to create a fic without some Mary-sue qualities. All right, I'm done ranting; here is chapter 5, with a bit of fluff.

--

Rivers Run Dry

By: Hotaru

Rating: Older Teens (16+) for some mature themes, language, etc.

Chapter 5

3-22-06

My my, what have we got here? It's the disclaimer damnit! You see, fan fiction authors are required to specify that they don't own any characters involved in their story, that were not made up on their own. SOOO therefore, I say, "I do so solemnly swear that I do not own any characters created by Takeuchi Naoko. I only own my own and my plot." And, would you please do that same courtesy of stating that you don't own my characters should you ever for some reason decide to use them, as well as the plot. Thank you.

--

Japanese phrases/names/items used: (I only use them when the English translation would sound unusual)

Koyuki - (a girl's name) literally means 'little snow.'

Puu - Chibi-usa's nickname for Pluto.

Atsui! - It's hot!

--

Omnipotent sat in a chair in the middle of a room. He was swirling red wine in a black goblet. The man was in a good mood. The young woman was being more successful now, than his mother had ever been... than Gaea. The green-eyed beauty was accomplishing the thing that the one time mighty Titaness had tried to do. Even though they weren't receiving all of what they needed, the girl was honest. Another thing that Gaea had not been. She told him everything that was happening with the process, no strings attached. Even if they weren't getting everything, once they had made their way across the Solar System, to every planet, they would be able to begin. The amount received from partial extractions was already of great amounts.

Standing up, Omnipotent walked towards a doorway. His black hair hung loose at his neck, his dark brown eyes contained powerful will, and his body was strong. Taking a gulp of the wine, the man set it down on a tray, held by a pink haired servant, "Cover the wine, and I expect to finish it when I get back." The man's voice was firm, but not cruel. If it was the last thing he did, he would make sure to never become the evil monster his mother had become before she was destroyed... destroyed by the five who now were cursed.

However, something ill was brewing, and so, the man had taken the most precious of the five, and now, here she was. He knew that her followers would curse him until his death, but they did not understand. He could sense it even now. As he walked down the hallways of his hidden fortress, Omnipotent continued to think, '_They wouldn't believe me even if I tried to explain the situation. I am not even sure if the Time Guardian knows of my intents..._'

Stopping in front of a door, he placed a hand on the doorknob and silently twisted it and opened the door. The room was dimly lit, aside from a glowing Solar System, and the light of the full moon shining through a window. The man walked in and closed the door behind him. With all the stealth he could muster, he made his way towards the bed, where the silhouette of a figure could be seen lying asleep.

Standing over her, he stared in awe at the sight of moonlight washing her face. She was sleeping quietly, only the rise and fall of her chest indicated her being alive. Without realizing what he was doing, he leaned closer to her, placing one hand on the bed to brace him. One of his large hands found the top of her head, as his face drew ever near, "Koyuki..." He breathed, taking in her scent. The girl stirred, and slowly, opened her green eyes. She did not startle, or seem shocked.

Smiling, she asked, "And what might the great Omnipotent be doing in my room tonight?" One of her finely shaped eyebrows arched up, and he gave her a gentle smirk, "Merely watching you is all." The girl reached a tiny hand to meet the one that rested on her head and gave it a pat, "I don't think that you should be in here..." Out of the time she had been here, Koyuki had become fond of him. She didn't want things to get out of hand.

The man above her seemed to think differently as his face came even closer, "Hmm... but you see. I think it is perfectly fine. I am not trying to do anything bad to you." He brushed his lips across her own lightly, and then brought them close to her ear, "However if you think I should stop, I will." His voice was low and husky. Omnipotent kissed the hollow of her neck gently and then returned his gaze to her's. A pleasant sensation ran down her spine in response to his touch, "This is-"

This time, the man firmly pressed his mouth against hers. She stiffened, but soon relaxed. He moved his own body closer to the lying one as he ran his tongue over her lips, seeking admittance. Koyuki hesitated momentarily, but then parted her mouth allowing him access to her sweet taste. She wrapped her arms around him, and brought them across his broad shoulders. Closing in the final inches, Omnipotent allowed his torso to lay atop hers. He was very aware of how her body felt against his, the curve of her small, but shapely breasts, her slender shoulders, and her trim waist, through the sheets of the bed.

Reluctantly, he decided to end the kiss, that amazing, first kiss. She was one of the most powerful women in the known universe, one of the cursed ones, and he had been privileged to be so close to her. Opening his brown eyes, Omnipotent met the gaze of her dark green ones. They were confused. He said, "We should stop now." She nodded in understanding, but still held him close. The young woman whispered, "You're so warm..." She nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck, "Stay with me until I sleep?" It was a simple request, and he had every intention of relenting to it, "Of course."

--

"Puu." The light voice said into a communicator, "I think, that he isn't our enemy."

A familiar voice answered back, "What do you mean, Small Lady?"

Chibi Usa stood in a small closet that was lit by a glowing stone, "Look, I know that he took her, but..." She hesitated.

"Go on."

"Do you think it is possible that the Gates of Time are capable of changing?"

Pluto's voice sounded shocked, "What do you mean, Small Lady! Of course they can change! However, I would have noticed... unless something were clouding the time lines." Worry was in her voice, "But the only thing capable of such a thing would be a-"

"A god." The pink haired princess said seriously. She was dressed in the servants' outfit of Omnipotent's fortress. She had matured to a teenager since she had returned to the future. Now, that she was back in the present, she was slightly disappointed that she couldn't see her friends, and stuck working under cover. However, it was her job, "Look, Puu, I've heard him talking to her. I don't know what it is, but he knows something is coming. He mentioned one time something about his mother. They are trying to take the planetary powers, but I don't think it is for ill will. I think that they are trying to stop whatever it is that's coming. The only problem is, I don't think either of them realize how this is going to affect our Senshi."

The girl received no response, "Puu?"

"I'm here. Look, stay there a little longer. I will see to the Gates of Time. I have been so preoccupied with aiding the Sailor Senshi that I have not taken the time to look into the future to make sure things are still going well. Should they have been changing since I last looked... we must act swiftly. I have called upon the girl's followers from the Gates of the Dead."

Ruby eyes opened wide, "You mean?"

"Yes. I have called upon the Senshi of the Dead to aid us. They are very powerful. You know from your readings, Small Lady, of their legacy in ancient times, as well as their usefulness in the present. And now, we must seek their aid directly, or I fear the evil ones who are coming will be victorious. Next time I contact you, I'll make sure that you can leave and come be with the other Senshi. We need as much power as we can get. Good luck, Small Lady. Be careful." And the connection was cut.

--

"Tadaima."

Hotaru jumped slightly in surprise as she turned around from her cooking in the kitchen. She was relieved to see a smiling Setsuna, and raising an arm to wipe her brow, the teenager turned back to peeling carrots, "Gee Setsuna-mama, any more popping into the kitchen like that and I might end up having a heart attack!" She heard the green haired woman chuckle, "Hotaru-chan your good humor increases. I'm glad." Setsuna walked next to Hotaru, and took another knife from a drawer close by, "Let me help you."

"You want to peel the potatoes?"

"Sure." The timekeeper began peeling, and then asked, "Are Haruka and Michiru out right now?"

Without raising her head, Hotaru replied, "Yup. They went to go look at a car. I'd say they'll be back in about half an hour."

"That Haruka... always looking at a new car. Even when the fate of the world is in our hands again." There was another silence, and then Setsuna said, "Now. I suppose I can explain to you what has been happening recently, if not a tad bit more."

Hotaru finished chopping up her carrots and put the orange pieces into a bowl and began to help Setsuna peel the rest of the potatoes, "I'm listening."

So Setsuna began the very brief explanation of things that she had given to Haruka and Michiru, "We need all the help we can get to face what's happening." She stopped peeling and turned to stare at Hotaru closely, "Help is coming. I have seen to that."

"What do you mean?" Hotaru looked a bit confused, "Who else is there aside from us?"

Setsuna's ruby eyes lit with mirth, "That, Hotaru-chan, you will find out soon." And then, she resumed peeling potatoes.

--

"Atsui!" Minako complained, "It's practically Christmas!" She fanned her face with a piece of cardboard.

All of the Inner Senshi were shopping in Harajuku. However, a sudden heat wave had caused them to take refuge in a small restaurant. The heat was so intense that they could barely stand a minute out in the heat. The buildings had switched the heaters to air conditioning, and hundreds of people had removed the heavy layers that they had put on for a day that was supposed to be near freezing.

Rei was sitting quietly, a scared look in her purple eyes, "It's Mars."

Usagi tried to cheer the pyro up, "Rei-chan, don't worry about it ok? If we train well, it won't even matter that some of your energy is gone, because we will be strong enough to withstand it." However, the girl shook her raven head in disagreement, "That's not the problem. I'm afraid this might affect my powers in the spiritual sense... that I might not be able to read from the Sacred Fire."

"I wouldn't worry about that either," Makoto said, "We could be better off without seeing anything anyway. Things are happening for a reason, and if your sixth sense is disabled for awhile, we'll get past it." All of the others nodded in agreement, and then ordered some ice cream.

--

"So, my incompetent son has been taking planetary energy?" Silver eyes gazed at the Solar System, observing the now green Jupiter, and golden Uranus. The rusty planet of Mars was becoming a very deep red color. The crackling voice continued, "Too bad he doesn't know that it gives us a great advantage." The eyes looked around and met a pair of red ones, "The only problem is that he has one of those that we cursed. No doubt the other four will be showing up soon. We can't allow the Ancient Ones to interfere, not with more of them roaming around the planet Earth now. If the little death demons find the living ones, problems will no doubt arise for us."

"Lady Gaea, how do you think we should go about things? Is it smart to let the extra reserves remain in the cores?"

The voice shot back, "Of course it is, you bloke. If they were let out, the newer Ancients would get all of it with no problem, and then, they would be even greater than us!"

"True."

"My son must be killed. And then, the Sailor Senshi, ALL of the Sailor Senshi, must be destroyed and their spirits as well. I don't want to risk having them ever come back again."

"Yes, lady."

--

THANKS FOR READING! I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

I am twisting in some Greek mythology. I'm not keeping things exact, because I wanted to make things work with the story. So, I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter, perhaps there will actually be a fight? Hehe. I guess this story will be longer than I thought, because I am making it kind of slow.

-Hotaru


	6. Chapter 6

--UPDATE--

Gomen guys! I forgot to fix Sailor Moon's attack at the end of the chapter. Well, it's fixed now. xD

--

Well, now that I can't sleep tonight, despite the fact I'm working tomorrow morning, I am starting Chapter 6. I have tickets to Family Values Tour guys! I get to see Dir En Grey. The highlight of the year for me! I have pit tickets too... bahaha. Alright, let's see how I can make this chapter come together, I hope you all enjoy!

--

Rivers Run Dry

By: Hotaru

Rating: Older Teens (16+) for some mature themes, language, etc.

Chapter 6

7-17-06

My my, what have we got here? It's the disclaimer damnit! You see, fan fiction authors are required to specify that they don't own any characters involved in their story, that were not made up on their own. SOOO therefore, I say, "I do so solemnly swear that I do not own any characters created by Takeuchi Naoko. I only own my own and my plot." And, would you please do that same courtesy of stating that you don't own my characters should you ever for some reason decide to use them, as well as the plot. Thank you.

--

Japanese and or Greek/Roman phrases/names/items used: (I only use them when the English translation would sound unusual)

Puu - A nickname that Chibi Usa uses for Sailor Pluto.

The Lemures/Larvae - Spirits of the wicked dead and greatly feared.

Eh? - Huh?

--

Panting for breath, Koyuki held her aching head, "Omnipotent... I need to take a break again." Her glowing face reflected the mild pain and exhaustion, as the light from the glowing planets reflected off of her skin. What was the planet Mars had become a sea of rusty red swirling together with a much deeper red. The man walked towards her, and leaned down gripping her shoulders, "That's fine. Just... how much did you get?"

"Not a whole bunch... the red planet is very strong, its will very powerful."

Looking about, Omnipotent called out, "Maid, get her something to drink, some wine preferably." Chibi Usa's red eyes were reflecting in the light, and she replied, "Yes, my lord," And then she acknowledged the tired girl, "Lady." Turning out of the room, she entered the hallways, and headed for the winery. After going through a series of halls, and down several sets of stairs, she was in the wine cellar. Feeling a small vibration, she looked down and saw a red light blinking faintly from her pocket.

Pulling out her crystal, which was also a com-link, she answered the call, "Puu? Is that you?"

"Yes Small Lady. It is safe for you to return to the present on Earth and join the others. The Outer Senshi and I are on our way to Tokyo right now. I will see you there, Small Lady. Until then." The link was cut, and then she placed the device back in her pocket. Grabbing a glass, and some wine, Chibi Usa decided to do one last thing for Koyuki, and then she would leave this place, hopefully forever.

--

Freezing weather bombarded the crowds as the heat wave dissappeared. It wasn't very long before people were rushing to put their heavy coats back on, and for people to go back on the streets. The girls sat inside the restaurant quietly contemplating the most current event, "Well, now that that's over... maybe we can finish shopping?" Minako tried, hoping to lighten everyone's mood. It was a meager attempt, but they all nodded and went outside.

Rei said, "I know you all want to try and enjoy today, but I think I'm going to go back home and see how much this has affected me."

"You sure you don't want anyone to go with you?" Usagi inquired, but the pyro stubbornly shook her head, "No. I'll be fine. You guys enjoy shopping, and we'll continue working on the issue later." As she turned to leave, a tall young woman with short black hair ran into her.

"Watch where you're walking." She snapped as her blue eyes flashed, and just as quickly continued on her way.

The raven haired senshi looked at the woman as she continued, glaring daggers, "Geez! What is it with people these days? Don't people have any manners..." She continued, "Alright, see you all later." Rei then left the area, and headed for her home.

--

Gaea's silver eyes widened as she called forth one of her underlings, "Bring forth one of our Lemures. I wish to send it out to take care of... something." Softly the great being laughed, as the servant left, to do the lady's bidding.

--

As Rei continued on through the park, the halfway mark to her home, and home to many past battles, an eerie feeling came over her. However, she shook it off, and continued on. Upon leaving the park, however, she could not get rid of the feeling that she was being watched. Her sixth sense was kicking in, warning her of another presence, but not of this world.

Looking around, the girl headed back towards the park, where she knew she'd be able to transform unseen, '_No wonder we have so many fights here... it's not ever full of people..._' Hiding behind a tree, making sure the coast was clear, she called out to her forefather, "Mars Crystal Power! - Make up!" In a swirl of fire and red, the Sailor Senshi of Fire and Spirit stepped forth. Looking about with her power enhanced eyes, Sailor Mars brought up her wrist, and made a communicae to the other girls, "Get over to the park. Something is not right. I'll see you all there."

Shutting off the link, she leapt up into a tree, and tried to sense how many people were about the park. Fortunately, there were few, and most were not close by, except for one. According to her sense, the person was right below her. Opening her eyes, she immediately looked down, expecting to see someone. However, she was shocked to see that there was no one there, "Eh?" She quickly grew suspicious of what she had sensed.

Jumping down from her perch, Sailor Mars landed firmly on her feet. Next thing she knew, something had grabbed her ankle, and flipped her onto her back with a painful landing, '_A human spirit._'

"What the hell, spirit? Show yourself now!" The firebrand demanded, as she was getting up. There was a quiet snicker, as a foggy form began to take shape, and soon enough, there was the figure of a man in front of her. This spirit had the dark eyes of being evil, and not only that, it was completely solid. Narrowing her eyes, the senshi quickly called forth her powers to banish it, "Burning Mandala!" The branded fire sped towards the creature, and hit it. However, it merely laughed as it brushed off the attack.

Shocked that her attack had not worked, Sailor Mars crouched low as she panted heavily, sweat beading on her brow. '_It really does take the energy out of you... but I expected more!_' The spirit walked towards her, as its evil smile neared, speaking to her, "Now, Sailor Senshi of Fire, you will die." She looked up, and put up the strongest spiritual barrier she could, using as much strength she could muster, "I will NOT be killed by a mere spirit such as yourself!"

The form continued to walk towards her, as her energy continued to grow less. She soon lost her energy, and blacked out, collapsing completely. As the barrier went down, the creature barred down on her, prepared to take her out, but it was immediately distracted by an attack, "Venus Love Me Chain!" As the golden chain encircled it, the thing screached out, letting loose an ear splitting scream. The chain loosened, but Sailor Venus soon regained her hold on it.

"Freezing Banshee!" A beautiful screaming creature came forth, and penetrated into the spirit. The other Sailor Senshi watched as the thing began to stop screaming, as it braced its hands over its ears, "Stop! Stop! I can't stand it, it's so agonizing!" He soon stopped moving as well, and was frozen in place. A sharp voice called, "Destroy it now, Sailor Moon, while you still can."

Looking around, the senshi tried to find the source of the voice, but she thought better, and then called forth her Moon Septer, "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" The power from her weapon surged forth, and as it hit the frozen spirit, it burst into millions of icy pieces, and then dissappeared. Having defeated the creature, all of the senshi ran towards a still passed out Mars, "Sailor Mars!" The Moon Princess cried, "Wake up, come on, wake up!" The girls had forgotten the person who had helped out of concern for their companion, and did not notice a tall lady walking away from the scene.

It was not long before the senshi of spirit awoke, but not without a headache, "Let's get out of here," Were her first words, and they all agreed, once they had returned to their everyday selves.

--

PUSH THE BUTTON!

Alright, it's not very long in terms of a chapter, but stuff happened right? Hehe... who is the tall lady? What are these spirits that attacked Mars? Find out more in the next chapter!

-Hotaru


End file.
